More than five hours after Easton police surrounded a man’s College Hill home on a report that he was armed and acting erratically, the man was found dead Monday night in the home.

Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek arrived at the house on the 300 block of Cattell Street at 10:45 p.m. and went in to investigate.

Police did not say how the man died.

The man was found dead shortly after police sent a robot into the house and then followed up with well-armed officers entering the home and climbing the stairs.

Across Cattell Street, neighbor David Allshouse said he saw the final moments of the search.

“You could see flashlights going up to the third floor,” Allshouse said. “We saw officers go up and we heard a shot. In my opinion, it was a shot.”

Kaylan Radcliff /Contributed photo

Easton police surrounded a College Hill home late Monday afternoon after receiving reports of a domestic dispute and a man who might have a gun. (Kaylan Radcliff /Contributed photo)

Easton police surrounded a College Hill home late Monday afternoon after receiving reports of a domestic dispute and a man who might have a gun. (Kaylan Radcliff /Contributed photo)

(Kaylan Radcliff /Contributed photo)

He said the bang also might have been a small explosive. Police said the noise was not a gunshot; the man had been dead for hours.

Police had surrounded the home at 5:05 p.m. Monday after receiving reports of a domestic dispute involving a 33-year-old man who might have a rifle.

At one point a dispatcher radioed that the man would not let his mother leave his apartment. Relatives said later that the mother did manage to escape with a child. The only one left in the house was the man.

About 5:15 p.m., police radioed that they might have a gunshot victim, but officials said that was not likely. As police sealed off the neighborhood, they acted on the assumption the man was alive.

Easton police surrounded a College Hill home late Monday afternoon after receiving reports of a domestic dispute and a man who might have a gun. (Kaylan Radcliff/Contributed photo)

Easton police surrounded a College Hill home late Monday afternoon after receiving reports of a domestic dispute and a man who might have a gun. (Kaylan Radcliff/Contributed photo)

As police considered how to coax him to surrender, the Northampton County 911 Center was asked to call every home in the neighborhood to request that all residents stay indoors.

The Plum House restaurant at 325 Cattell St. was notified that police would help evacuate its customers safely.

Early in the evening police brought in an armored truck, from which an officer called on the man, whom they called Brandon, to give himself up.

“This is the Easton police,” an officer said through the bullhorn. “Come to the window or the door and show yourself with your hands up. We want to be sure you are OK in there. We are concerned about your safety.”

After failing to get a response from the man, police at 8:40 p.m. set off a flash-bang device at the front of the building. But there still was no reaction, and they resumed the pleas for his surrender.

At 9:40 p.m. police sent the robot into the house.

One block east of Lafayette College, the police activity attracted several college students, who asked police what was happening. Officers were not giving any answers.

“Everyone is curious,” said sophomore Josh Silver. He said the college public safety office told students to stay away from Cattell Street.

Fellow sophomore Ben Marks said he was surprised how long the operation took. He wondered about the robot's role and what initiated the confrontation.

The students said a Lafayette algebra professor, who lives in the Cattell Street area, canceled her 7:30 p.m. pre-exam study session because of the standoff.